Ball rolling game



Oct. 29, 1940. D. E. HOOKER BALL ROLLING GAME Filed Sept. 14, 1937 Patented Oct. 2 9, 1940' UNITED STATES BALL ROLLING GAME Donald E. Hooker, Chicago, 111., assignor to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 14, 1937, Serial No. 163,829

6Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in ball rolling games of the type having a substantially horizontal table over which balls are rolled, and more particularly to a ball projector means operatively associated with the table to propel,

or repropelballs over the table.

Heretofore, ball projectors used with these games were adapted for projecting a ball always in the same direction, or in one direction only. 10 From the standpoint of player appeal it is found desirable to provide a projector for use with these games which is capable of projecting. a ball in any direction on a given plane, through the arc of a circle, or even through a complete circle of 360 degrees.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved ball projector'for use with ball rolling games.

Another object of the invention is to provide a projector which will be capable of propelling a ball in more than one direction on a given plane surface.

Still another object is to provide a projector capable of propelling a ball in any direction over a, plane surface through 360 degrees.

Another object is to provide such a projector utilizing a wedging action to propel a ball. Also, it is an object to provide such a projector which will be electromagnetically operable.

Also, it is an object to provide such a projector which will be automatically operable and be controlled by a ball in play.

Other important objects will be apparent to those skilled in this art as the disclosure is more fully made.

. Briefly, these desirable objects may be achieved in a game having a substantially horizontal ball rolling table, carrying an improved projector unit including a vertically reciprocable, wedge-like member adapted to receive a ball between itself and the table, theball preferably when so received, serving to close an electrical circuit for causing operation of an electromagnetic device which in turn serves to move the wedge-like member toward the table to wedge and thereby project the ball over the table. By making the wedge annular, a ball received thereby may be projected in any direction.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, showing an illustrative example of the invention:

Figure 1 is .a general plan view of a ball rolling game embodying several of theimproved'projectors; and,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal view partly in section, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The game shown comprises a generally rectangular cabinet l0 having a front wall ll, said cabinet carrying a substantially horizontal table [2, in turn carrying a guide piece l3 and an arch piece M for delineating a ball rolling or play field in the usual manner. The edges of the pieces l3 and H are provided with a rubber bumper cushion edge H, as well as opposite side 0 edges of the field. The piece I3 is notched at iii to receive balls gravitating to the low end of the field in the well known manner. -A manually operable ball shooting plunger I1 is mounted in the front wall H to shoot balls, one at a time, 15 along a right hand passage [8, through a one way gate l9 and around the bumper edge l4, l5 to a rebound element 20 from whence a played ball is free to gravitate down the table to the low end thereof. The cabinet is covered by the usual glass 20 top 2|.

The table I2 is covered by a conductor surface sheet of metal as shown at 22 to provide the ball rolling field surface, said surface being wired in an electrical circuit 23 with a suitable source of 25 energy, as at 24. ,The circuit includesa relay coil 25 and connects to a tension spring 26-having its upper end anchored suitably to a depending bracket 21 secured to the underside of the wooden table board I2. The opposite end of said to spring 26 is connected to the lower end of a substantially vertical stem 21, which below' the bracket 21 includes a fixed washer element 28, and between the ,element 28 and bracket 21 is disposed a coiled cushion spring 29, as shown.

The bracket 21 serves to mount an electromagnetic relay coil 30, the stem 21 being passed therethrough and suitably enlarged as at 3| to provide a" core which is extended upwardly through a sleeve 32 fixed in the table board I2 40 and spaced from the sheet 22 by an enlarged opening 33 provided therein. The core part 3| extends on up through the sleeve 32 to a point raised above the surface 22 where it has fastened thereto by a screw 34, a rather large dish shaped 45 annular member 35 providing on its under portion a wedge surface 36. Only one of the elements 35 is shown in Figure 2, but as appears in Figure 1, any desired number of them may be employed, it being understood that each is a separate unit 50 and for that reason only one has been described in detail. The electrical circuit 23 includes the spring 26, stem 21, core 3| and wedge 35.

A ball 31 of conductor materialwhen received between the wedge 35 and surface '22 completes 55 the circuit and en r izes the coil 30 to reci rocate the core 3| with the stem 21 downwardly against the pull of the spring 28, thereby to wedge the ball 31 radially outwardly to repropel same over or across the surface 22. The instant the ball is so repropelled the circuit opens to deenergize the coil 30, whereupon the spring 26 is operative to restore the wedge to its normal, raised ball receiving position. The spring 28 acts as a rebound cushion, and also with the spring 26 serves floatingly and yieldingly to mount each projector unit in balanced position. When the wedges 35 are made annular a. ball obviously may be projected across a plane surface in infinite directions around a circle of 360 degrees. By making the wedge 35 arcuate as a segment then a ball received thereby may be repropelled in any direction within the limits of the arc. The relay 24 in the circuit, 01' course, is energized every time the circuit 23 is closed and may be used to operate a score counting or registering auxiliary in an obvious manner. I

By providing a plurality of these projectors on a common game board, along with rebound edges IS a lively ball rolling action results.

It is the intention to cover all changes and modifications not departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ball projector for a game having a substantially horizontal table over which a ball may roll, the ball projector being operatively associated with the table and including an annular wedge member positioned to receive a ball between itself and the table, and means to move the wedge member toward the table to project the ball.

2. In a ball projector for a game having a substantially horizontal table, the projector being operatively associated therewith, said table having a conductor surface in a circuit with the projector, and electromagnetic means operable when a ball of conductor, material rolling on the surface engages the projector for automatically causing the projector to re-prdject the ball over the table.

3. In a ball projector 'for a game having a substantially horizontal table, the projector being operatively associated therewith and positioned inwardly of any edge of the table, said table having a conductor surface in a circuit with the projector, and electromagnetic means operable when a ball of conductor material rolling on the surface engages the projector for automatically causing the projector to project the ball over the table, said projector including means for causing the ball to be re-projected horizontally over the table in any radial direction.

4. In a ball projector for a game having a substantially horizontal table, said table having a vertical bore formed therethrough, an electromagnetic relay coil carried below the table having an upright movably mounted armature core extending up through the bore, and a wedge shaped ball projector member carried on the core above the table to' receive between it and the table a ball rolling on the table to re-propel same when the core is energized to operate the core and member.

5. A ball projector for a game having a substantially horizontal table over which a ball is rollable, the ball projector being positioned on the table inwardly of any edge thereof and having a part associated with the table in a manner to receive between the part and the table a ball rolling on the table and operative to engage the ball at a point well above its center whereby to re-propel the ball so received in radial directions horizontally onthe table of a circle, the projector including a vertically movable means, and means controlled by the ball received between the projector and table to cause actuation of the vertically moving means.

6. In a ball projector for a game having a substantially horizontal table over which a ball may roll, the ball projector being operatively supported in the table and including a wedge member for receiving a ball rolling on the table between itself and the table, and means automatically operative when the ball is so received to move the wedge member to re-propel the ball over the table.

DONALD E. HOOKER. 

